


Of Family

by Jestana



Series: AU_Bingo [10]
Category: Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-22
Updated: 2010-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-13 23:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/142842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's only one person Colin trusts to find his father.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Family

**Author's Note:**

> Written for au_bingo on LJ for the prompt _Other: Detectives_. Beta by unicorn_catcher and umbralillium.

**Of Family**

  
A taxicab stopped in front of a small, snug cottage and a tall, thin young man with thick black hair and large gray eyes climbed out of the back. He ducked back into the vehicle to retrieve his suitcase and pay the driver. "Thank you."

"Have a good evenin'." The driver replied with a smile as the young man withdrew to stand on the sidewalk.

The man didn't even watch the cab drive away. He turned his face up to the sky and breathed deeply of the smells around him. After several minutes of this, he picked up his suitcase and headed for the front door of the cottage. He didn't quite reach it when the door opened to reveal a young woman about his age with long golden blonde hair, gray eyes, and quite obviously pregnant. "Colin!"

"Hello, Mary." Colin grinned as he returned the woman's hug. When he pulled back, he spread his hand on her stomach. "How much longer do you have?"

Mary urged him inside as she replied, a lovely blush blooming in her cheeks. "About a month, according to the doctor."

"And what does Dickon say?" He grinned as the door closed behind him.

Another young man appeared in the entryway as Mary took Colin's coat and hung it in the closet. He had curly red hair, bright blue eyes, and a wide, smiling mouth. "I say two weeks."

"Hello, Dickon." Colin smiled and greeted the other man with a hug just as warm as the one he'd given Mary. "I'm sorry to intrude on you and Mary like this."

Dickon shook his head as he slung an arm around Colin's thin shoulders and led him down the hall. "Don't fret about it. I have quite a lot of those on my own. What's one more?"

"He means it, too, Colin," Mary added from behind the two men, smiling warmly. "You know how important family is to him."

The two men drew apart so the woman could slip between them, kissing Colin on the cheek and Dickon on the lips. "I know, which is part of the reason I've come to see you two."

"It's about Uncle Archie, isn't it?" Mary asked quietly as Dickon reached out to open the door to the guest bedroom.

Colin nodded, following husband and wife into the room. "Yes. I don't think he really _is_ dead, but no one knows where he can be found."

"And you want me to look for him?" Dickon asked as Colin set his suitcase on the bed.

Mary sat down in the armchair with a grateful sigh. "Or at least determine where his remains are if he _is_ dead after all."

"I'll do it," Dickon assured his childhood friend with a solemn look that didn't really suit him.

Colin matched the other man's solemnity as he shook Dickon's hand. "Thank you, Dickon."

Watching the two men and remembering how all three of them used to play and tumble together like puppies, Mary couldn't quite stifle a giggle. "What's this about, Mistress Mary?"

"I'm sorry, Dickon. Solemn doesn't really suit you at all," she explained, gray eyes bright with mirth as she gazed at her husband.

Colin gave his cousin a mock offended look. "What about me?"

"It _does_ suit you better, Cousin, but then I remembered how you'd tumble about with us when we were little and I couldn't stop myself." Mary offered such a sweet smile with her reply that her cousin couldn't have stayed angry with her even if he'd tried.

The two men exchanged glances and laughed along with her. There was a note of relief in Colin's laughter as well. He knew Dickon would find his father. He was the best private detective that he knew of. _Everything'll be all right now..._

 **End**


End file.
